Gift Fic for dreamweavernyx
TitleTo: dreamweavernyx
From: nillahoney
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Title: The Middle of Somewhere
Pairing/Group: Ohmiya and Ryoda. Mentions of other Arashi members and ninja Inoo. :-3
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Nino sarcasm, language, awkward fluff.
Notes: I don't really know what this is, but the idea hit me so I went with it. I hope dreamweavernyx enjoys this fic and it was at least some of what you'd hoped for :) And thank you to my wonderful beta who shall remain nameless ;)
Summary: Ninomiya has to go out of town for Christmas because of his family's plans. Along the way, his car breaks down and he has to get help from the local residents.
The road was dark except for his headlights and the little light that came from the moon when it managed to peak through the clouds. It was a sliver of a moon though, and didn't provide much. The road was empty except for himself. It had to have been ten miles since he last passed another car, and that was just one in several more miles.
Ninomiya had a party he was going to. Technically it didn't start until the next day, and then lasted all weekend. He cursed his parents for agreeing to go out of town this year to visit family, and for calling and practically forcing him to agree to show up as well. He didn't care for his family much. They were all as crazy as him, but didn't share similar interests. How was he supposed to get along with that? For a whole weekend? In a place he wasn't familiar with?
Looking at his GPS as it flickered in and out of life, he blinked his sleepy eyes and smacked it a couple of times. That seemed to do the trick for a couple of minutes before it completely died. "Are you kidding me?" he shouted to the silence.
He picked it up off its stand and started fiddling with the buttons, careful to keep one hand on the wheel -for the most part- and his eyes constantly flitting up to check the road. His foot let up off the gas a little and he slowed to about ten under the speed limit. But there was no one around to care. The GPS seemed dead and he threw it to the other side of the car with another curse. Reaching out, he turned on the radio and started humming the tune to the first song that came on, singing the few versus of the chorus he knew loudly. His fingers gripped the wheel until his knuckles were white. It would be okay. He'd checked the route. All he had to do for now was keep driving straight. Once he got to a town he could get a new charger. Of course he'd managed to forget to bring the one he owned. Of course it would choose this trip to run out of power. Of course.
About ten minutes later, everything got worse. "Overheating?" he muttered to himself as he stared in disbelief at the temperature warning. Suddenly it became very clear to Nino that he should have refused to go. He could be tucked safely and warmly into his bed right now, but no, he was about to have car troubles in the middle of nowhere. He refused to pull over until the car started making strange noises, at which point he found a cozy spot on the edge of the highway and opened the vents to let some of the air from the engine run through. It was hot, blowing gently over his arms and he shivered before reaching for his phone.
"Why am I not surprised?" he asked to no one in particular before stuffing it back in his pocket. No signal. He couldn't even let his parents know he'd be late.
With a sigh, he stepped out of the vehicle and walked around to open the hood, which was pointless because the most he knew about cars was how to drive one and racing or designing them in video games. Slamming it back shut, Nino put his hands on his hips and thought for a minute. He really didn't know what was around here, or even how safe the area was. There was a light in the distance, hinting that someone lived not too far away. That, or some sort of business, or gas station. Either way, Nino was pretty sure there would be a phone, and maybe even someone who could help him out. Walking there though, in the dark, all alone, was kind of scary. Not that he was going to admit that to anyone though.
After several minutes of sitting around and trying the engine again only to find it didn't even want to start, Ninomiya finally made the decision to try and walk to whatever place was down the road. It was better than sitting around waiting for nothing. He didn't have the time to wait for morning either.
Five minutes had gone by and Nino was starting to seriously doubt his decision. The house, or whatever it was, still looked a good distance away, and he was freezing. It was definitely too cold to be walking for a long time outside. He was considering turning back when a pair of lights suddenly shown from behind. He turned quickly and started to wave. Of course then he realized he could be waving a murderer or something down, but it was too late to take it back even if he'd wanted to. The car pulled over to the side of the road several feet after it had passed him. He could see the lights inside the car turn on as the door opened. He couldn't really see much of the person, but the young man's voice rang out clearly through the air. "You okay?"
"Fucking brilliant," Nino muttered to himself before jogging closer and calling loud enough to be heard, "My car broke down, just a ways back. I have no idea where I am, but I thought about asking for help from the house up there."
The man was a little clearer at this distance and he looked over his shoulder as if to see what he was talking about before looking back. "So, that was your car back there? That's actually my house up ahead. If you want, I can drive you to our local mechanic. He lives nearby, but it would be a long walk in this weather."
"That would be great!" Nino said with a big smile, feeling like his luck might be finally turning around. He walked hastily to the passenger door of the car. The guy motioned for him to get in and did so himself. Nino flinched at the noise the old leather seat made under his weight.
"She's old," the guy said with a big, goofy looking smile, his eyes wrinkling into slits. Nino nodded and looked out the window.
"Thanks for the ride."
"Oh, it's nothing really. The shop isn't anything fancy, but the mechanic there is good. He's never let me down before." Ninomiya shrugged. He didn't really care for big name businesses anyway. They were all out for his money anyway.
It really didn't take long before the guy, Inoo he said his name was, pulled into a driveway. The driveway itself was a cross between dirt and gravel and took a good, and bumpy, five minutes to drive all the way up. Stopping, Inoo turned off the car and hopped out. "I'll let them know what's going on. Maybe they'll help you out right away if a good friend asks."
Nino smiled and nodded gratefully, thanking him again and receiving a light clap on the back. "It's really no problem," he responded before moving to the door and giving it a couple of firm knocks. How hard he hit and how loud it sounded was almost surprising given the gentle vibe he seemed to possess.
The door opened minutes later to reveal a man with short black hair. His chest was bare and his jeans were riding low to reveal black boxers. "Hey, eyes up here, stranger."
Nino frowned at him, a little offended by the accusation. He hadn't really been looking, not like that anyway.
"His car broke down," Inoo piped in, shoving past him and into the house. The man looked mildly annoyed for a second, but then smiled and motioned for Nino to come in too.
"What's your name?"
"Kazunari Ninomiya," he answered, looking around the small house.
"Where were you headed?"
"I was going out of town for Christmas."
"Don't have a family of your own to spend it with?"
"I ... what's with the drill?" he asked, frowning in annoyance. The dark haired man simply laughed and walked over to grab his shirt, a black tank, that looked like it had been dropped haphazardly on the couch.
"I was just curious. Where's the car? I'll go pick it up."
Inoo gave him instructions that Ninomiya couldn't really have given himself. He didn't even remember seeing the pink dog statue half a mile from the highway sign, but it had been dark.
After the other guy left, Inoo motioned for Ninomiya to sit down with him on the couch. "That was Nishikido Ryo. He's actually a pretty nice guy once you get to know him."
Nino gave him a quizzical look before shrugging and sitting down. "Is it okay for us to just stay in his house like this?"
"Oh yeah. It's not really his house anyway. Ueda's probably here too somewhere."
"Who's that?"
"The mechanic."
"I thought that was ... Nishikido," Nino said slowly, having to think to remember the name.
"No, he just helps out and bums around. Plus he's the one who owns the truck that can haul broken down vehicles here."
By the time Ryo was back, Nino felt almost ready to chew his own arm off just to have a reason to get out of there. Even though not as blunt, Inoo asked just as many questions as Nishikido had and that friendly smile and air never once left him while he talked constantly. When the door opened, Nino readily jumped from the couch.
"Come on. We got your car in the shop. You can follow me," Ryo said, motioning to Ninomiya. "Inoo, you can go ahead and go home. It's getting late."
Nino actually felt a little reserved about the other man leaving. He had been the friendlier and more trustworthy looking of the two. But Inoo just happily wished him luck and strode out the door. Nino tried to keep from frowning and followed Ryo into the 'shop', which turned out to just be a two car garage. Nino almost sighed and slapped himself on the forehead, but he supposed it was better than nothing.
Ueda was dressed in nothing surprising for a mechanic, but maybe a little odd for how late it was and since there was no actual business open at the moment. His white, stained wife beater disappeared into his grey jumpsuit, the top tied off around his waist. He had a stringy, but very fit figure.
"Hey, stranger," Ryo barked and Nino pulled his eyes away with a grunt. He wasn't fucking looking at them like that.
Ueda already had the hood up and was digging around like he knew exactly what was going on. He asked for the keys, and Nino handed them over. Despite being a little paranoid about this guy actually being a mechanic, he didn't really feel like he had much choice now. Ueda tested the car, trying to turn it on. Ryo started talking to him again, this time it felt a little bit less like a drill, while Ueda worked. Eventually the man with the pretty brown hair pulled away from the car and walked over.
"I can't fix it until tomorrow. We'll have to have a part brought in from town," he shrugged as he toweled his greasy hands off. "I'll make some calls to see if anyone can board you for the night. You can't stay here. I only let special bums stay overnight at my house," he said with a smirk as he smacked Ryo on the ass and walked towards the door connecting the house to the garage. Ryo leered after him with a look that made Nino relieved he hadn't been offered a room there.
"So, there's no hotels nearby?" he questioned, with a slim hope. Ryo seemed to snap out of his trance and shook his head.
"Not for about an hour either way, and I doubt anyone will be willing to drive you that far and bring you back. A taxi would cost a hell of a lot too."
"So I'm going to be stuck with a stranger?"
"Don't worry. We're all pretty nice around here. Well, most of us are anyway. Come on. Let's go inside. It's too cold in here."
The next thing Nino knew, he was waiting around for some guy to come pick him up and take him to a place to stay. He'd walked all around inside and out trying to get a signal on his phone, but he was seriously starting to think the whole area might be dead. Why did people live out here? Seriously. Granted, if no one did, he would have been in serious trouble.
Eventually there was a knock at the door, and Nino stood a little nervously from his spot on the couch. When Ryo opened it, Nino got the shock of his life. The person standing there wasn't a stranger at all, but an old friend from high school. What were the odds?
The complimentarily short man looked at him for a moment before his mouth opened in surprise. "Oh," was all he said before Ryo jumped in to introduce them.
Once Nishikido seemed to realize they already knew each other, he looked surprised, disappointed, then excited as he left the room to tell Ueda. The two came back in to say their farewell for the night, and Nino felt relieved that he wasn't leaving with a stranger. Although he also felt nervous because he hadn't spoken to Ohno in over a year.
It wasn't until they were alone in Ohno's car that Nino finally asked him the question that had been on the tip of his mind ever since he walked through the door. "Why did you leave like that?"
"Like what?" Ohno asked simply, looking over at him with wide eyes.
"What do you mean 'like what'?" Nino impersonated him with an exaggerated face and a dopey sounding voice. Ohno just looked at him tiredly before turning back to watch the road. Nino crossed his arms and continued when he only got silence, "I mean, why didn't you call or give me your new number? Why did we fall out of touch?"
Ohno looked surprised again, and Nino soon realized why. "I did. I told Aiba to give you my new number. And it's hard to get reception out here, so I haven't really spoken to anyone very much."
With a sigh, Nino leaned back in his seat. "He must have forgotten to give it to me."
"Yeah?"
"I never saw it."
"Sorry," Ohno said simply, making Ninomiya smile. Still the same old Ohno, simple and to the point.
"I guess these things happen," Nino said with a shrug, easily letting it explain why he'd lost contact with the person he'd been closest to through high school. It wasn't an open sort of closeness. Nino wasn't sure he'd ever even told the other man he thought of him as his best friend, but they just understood each other, better than anyone else did anyway.
Nino discovered that Ohno's new house was small and different than the one Nino had visited countless times in the past. His parents had lived in a nice, homey looking place. Ohno's new house looked like something taken out of a kid's book. There were two levels, the second looked like it had been slapped on secondhand and was about to teeter off the edge of the first.
"You live here?" he asked in disbelief. Ohno simply smiled and nodded before leading him inside. It wasn't nearly as bad as the outside had looked, but Nino had the nagging reminder of the way it looked like it was about to fall over. It was a little messy, papers and art supplies scattered around in every room.
"You live alone?" he further inquired and Ohno nodded again. "Do you have a phone?"
"Ah, not a home phone. There is a spot where you can get a signal though, if you need to make a phone call."
"Really?" Nino asked, smiling again. Finally!
"Yeah, it's up on the second floor," Ohno added and Ninomiya felt his stomach sink.
The stairs creaked a little, but it didn't feel as unstable as it looked. Nino was honestly a little surprised that it didn't start swaying under his feet. Ohno led him all the way up the little set of stairs that curved up onto a second floor that had a rail looking down into the living room. There was a single door that had a wooden plate on it, the word 'studio' carved into it. Nino felt a strange fondness surge up in him, thinking about Ohno working in there every day, but it was quickly suppressed by the worry that the house might topple over while he was in there. That, and the roof was only inches above his head, something that made him feel entirely too uncomfortable.
"A tall person would never be able to live here," he noted, a little amused. Ohno laughed breathily and opened the little door.
If Nino had thought the living room was bad, this room was a billion times messier. There was barely any floor visible at all. Black dust, charcoal he assumed, lay in thin coats on the floor by an easel that had a half finished drawing on it. There were bottles of paint and pads with mixed colors everywhere. "Jesus," Nino breathed as he looked around. It was so Ohno it almost hurt.
"How can you stand this mess?" he asked, kicking aside some paint bottles as he trudged through the mess, following Ohno to the other side of the room.
"What mess?" Ohno replied with a smile, and Nino couldn't help but grin back. Ohno stopped in the far corner of the room and Nino looked at him skeptically. "It's here. Come closer."
When Ninomiya didn't move, Ohno reached out and pushed him into the corner. "This is the only spot that a good signal comes through. If you don't believe me, you can try."
Frowning slightly, Nino pulled out his phone and flipped it open. "Ah, a signal," he said with a smile. He stepped away from the corner and the bars dropped. "It really is true. Seems like something from a horror movie."
"That's just in this house though. There are other places around here I can get signals. Well, you can call whoever you need to now."
Nino began to type letters into a text, leaning back into the corner. "Nah, I'll just text them. Let them know I won't make it tonight." The sudden absence of light let Nino know Ohno had stepped closer. He glanced up and saw him pull out his own phone and begin typing. "Hey, give me some space, will you? I can barely see with you standing there."
"I need to use my phone too," he responded, pursing his lips out in a cute pout before going back to typing. Nino stared at him, feeling both uncomfortable and oddly excited. When Ohno's phone lightly bumped against his, Nino was pulled out of his staring contest with Ohno's forehead and he sucked in a breath before reaching out to shove the other man in the chest.
"You're too close," he complained.
Ohno just blinked at him and stepped up close again. "We've been closer than this before. Remember that one sleepover, with the tiny bed?"
"Yeah, your snoring kept me up."
"And your elbows kept poking into my sides."
They stared at each other for a long moment before they both laughed and Nino looked down, shrugging. "I miss those days."
He could feel Ohno's warm breath brushing across his face. "Yeah," he said simply, his voice soft. Reaching out, Nino pulled Ohno closer, wrapping his arms around him in a somewhat uncharacteristic hug. He pressed his face into the other man’s hair and breathed in deeply, everything washing back over him. All the things he'd felt were enough to make him feel intoxicated.
Pulling back, he tried to move away, but the wall was right behind him. Laughing to try and expel some of the nerves, Nino looked up to meet Ohno's eyes, seeing nothing but calm. It made him feel just as nervous as ever. He had always been somewhat unreadable like that, keeping everything inside. Looking back down, Nino took a deep breath and tried to step to the side, but Ohno's hands closed around his arms and held him in place.
"You know," he began, and Nino looked at him with a curious frown. "I miss it too. You being around me all the time. There was once when I found it kind of bothersome how you clung to me after we met, but I guess I grew kind of dependant on you after all. Moving away only made it that much more obvious."
Ninomiya felt frozen as the words sunk into him, very slowly. It was difficult to process what he was hearing, the seriousness, the weight of it. It just wasn't like Ohno to say so much, but then again, maybe they'd both grown up a little. After a few seconds, Nino frowned and batted Ohno's arms away. "What do you mean bothersome? I didn't cling to you at all. I was just..." Nino felt himself silenced when Ohno's lips pressed firmly against his partially opened mouth. He stared at him with wide eyes, the sound of his heartbeat suddenly hammering in his ears. When Ohno pulled back, he just continued to stare. "What was that?"
"Don't act like you didn't want it," he said with a twitch of his lips. Nino blinked and shook his head. He always thought if anyone kissed anyone, it would end up being him. The outcome of the kiss was what had always kept him from doing anything serious with the other, despite all the jokes and playful fondling he'd done in the past.
"I meant," Nino started, finally pulling his nerve back together. "What was that? I don't think that really even qualifies as a kiss," he said with a smirk before pulling Ohno closer and tilting his head to lean into the kiss. Ohno's mouth was soft against his partially chapped lips -he'd blame it on the cold weather later- and Nino quickly pried open his mouth with his tongue.
They only pulled apart when they were both breathless. Ohno finally took a step back, allowing Nino to move out of the corner, which he did while taking a few heavy breaths.
"I hope that was more satisfying," Ohno said with a smile.
"You're getting there," Nino played back.
"Come on. I'll make us something to drink."
Nino followed Ohno out of the room and smiled, "I hope it has alcohol in it."
Ten minutes later, Nino sipped on his hot chocolate from a cup shaped like a bear's head. He wasn't too disappointed. "So," he started, trying to make conversation when all he really wanted to do was find out whether or not he'd be on the couch alone or in the bed, not so alone. "What are your plans for Christmas? Are you going home?"
Ohno leaned back against the couch and made a soft, contemplative noise. "No, I'm not going anywhere this year."
Leaning forward, Nino gaped at him. "So, you're spending Christmas alone?"
Turning his head to look at him, Ohno blinked. "Well, I got this new paint set..." he trailed off and shrugged before taking a small drink and hissing at the heat, making Nino laugh under his breath.
After he waited to make sure Ohno wasn't really burnt, Nino sighed. "You can't spend it alone."
"Oh really?" Ohno asked, grinning into his cup.
"Yes, I'll spend it with you."
"Oh, you will?"
"Yes," Nino couldn't help but mirror the smile on Ohno's face as they went back and forth.
"Why?" Ohno asked, suddenly looking a little more serious.
"I don't want to have to spend it with my family. Isn't that enough?" Nino shrugged and sat the mug down because it was getting too hot for his hands.
"So, I'm an excuse?"
Nino stared at him for a long moment before answering, "No, not really."
Ohno took a deep breath and chewed on his lip for a second before looking back at Nino. "You know, I never said you could stay."
But even without saying it, Ohno never made him leave.
From: nillahoney
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Title: The Middle of Somewhere
Pairing/Group: Ohmiya and Ryoda. Mentions of other Arashi members and ninja Inoo. :-3
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Nino sarcasm, language, awkward fluff.
Notes: I don't really know what this is, but the idea hit me so I went with it. I hope dreamweavernyx enjoys this fic and it was at least some of what you'd hoped for :) And thank you to my wonderful beta who shall remain nameless ;)
Summary: Ninomiya has to go out of town for Christmas because of his family's plans. Along the way, his car breaks down and he has to get help from the local residents.
The road was dark except for his headlights and the little light that came from the moon when it managed to peak through the clouds. It was a sliver of a moon though, and didn't provide much. The road was empty except for himself. It had to have been ten miles since he last passed another car, and that was just one in several more miles.
Ninomiya had a party he was going to. Technically it didn't start until the next day, and then lasted all weekend. He cursed his parents for agreeing to go out of town this year to visit family, and for calling and practically forcing him to agree to show up as well. He didn't care for his family much. They were all as crazy as him, but didn't share similar interests. How was he supposed to get along with that? For a whole weekend? In a place he wasn't familiar with?
Looking at his GPS as it flickered in and out of life, he blinked his sleepy eyes and smacked it a couple of times. That seemed to do the trick for a couple of minutes before it completely died. "Are you kidding me?" he shouted to the silence.
He picked it up off its stand and started fiddling with the buttons, careful to keep one hand on the wheel -for the most part- and his eyes constantly flitting up to check the road. His foot let up off the gas a little and he slowed to about ten under the speed limit. But there was no one around to care. The GPS seemed dead and he threw it to the other side of the car with another curse. Reaching out, he turned on the radio and started humming the tune to the first song that came on, singing the few versus of the chorus he knew loudly. His fingers gripped the wheel until his knuckles were white. It would be okay. He'd checked the route. All he had to do for now was keep driving straight. Once he got to a town he could get a new charger. Of course he'd managed to forget to bring the one he owned. Of course it would choose this trip to run out of power. Of course.
About ten minutes later, everything got worse. "Overheating?" he muttered to himself as he stared in disbelief at the temperature warning. Suddenly it became very clear to Nino that he should have refused to go. He could be tucked safely and warmly into his bed right now, but no, he was about to have car troubles in the middle of nowhere. He refused to pull over until the car started making strange noises, at which point he found a cozy spot on the edge of the highway and opened the vents to let some of the air from the engine run through. It was hot, blowing gently over his arms and he shivered before reaching for his phone.
"Why am I not surprised?" he asked to no one in particular before stuffing it back in his pocket. No signal. He couldn't even let his parents know he'd be late.
With a sigh, he stepped out of the vehicle and walked around to open the hood, which was pointless because the most he knew about cars was how to drive one and racing or designing them in video games. Slamming it back shut, Nino put his hands on his hips and thought for a minute. He really didn't know what was around here, or even how safe the area was. There was a light in the distance, hinting that someone lived not too far away. That, or some sort of business, or gas station. Either way, Nino was pretty sure there would be a phone, and maybe even someone who could help him out. Walking there though, in the dark, all alone, was kind of scary. Not that he was going to admit that to anyone though.
After several minutes of sitting around and trying the engine again only to find it didn't even want to start, Ninomiya finally made the decision to try and walk to whatever place was down the road. It was better than sitting around waiting for nothing. He didn't have the time to wait for morning either.
Five minutes had gone by and Nino was starting to seriously doubt his decision. The house, or whatever it was, still looked a good distance away, and he was freezing. It was definitely too cold to be walking for a long time outside. He was considering turning back when a pair of lights suddenly shown from behind. He turned quickly and started to wave. Of course then he realized he could be waving a murderer or something down, but it was too late to take it back even if he'd wanted to. The car pulled over to the side of the road several feet after it had passed him. He could see the lights inside the car turn on as the door opened. He couldn't really see much of the person, but the young man's voice rang out clearly through the air. "You okay?"
"Fucking brilliant," Nino muttered to himself before jogging closer and calling loud enough to be heard, "My car broke down, just a ways back. I have no idea where I am, but I thought about asking for help from the house up there."
The man was a little clearer at this distance and he looked over his shoulder as if to see what he was talking about before looking back. "So, that was your car back there? That's actually my house up ahead. If you want, I can drive you to our local mechanic. He lives nearby, but it would be a long walk in this weather."
"That would be great!" Nino said with a big smile, feeling like his luck might be finally turning around. He walked hastily to the passenger door of the car. The guy motioned for him to get in and did so himself. Nino flinched at the noise the old leather seat made under his weight.
"She's old," the guy said with a big, goofy looking smile, his eyes wrinkling into slits. Nino nodded and looked out the window.
"Thanks for the ride."
"Oh, it's nothing really. The shop isn't anything fancy, but the mechanic there is good. He's never let me down before." Ninomiya shrugged. He didn't really care for big name businesses anyway. They were all out for his money anyway.
It really didn't take long before the guy, Inoo he said his name was, pulled into a driveway. The driveway itself was a cross between dirt and gravel and took a good, and bumpy, five minutes to drive all the way up. Stopping, Inoo turned off the car and hopped out. "I'll let them know what's going on. Maybe they'll help you out right away if a good friend asks."
Nino smiled and nodded gratefully, thanking him again and receiving a light clap on the back. "It's really no problem," he responded before moving to the door and giving it a couple of firm knocks. How hard he hit and how loud it sounded was almost surprising given the gentle vibe he seemed to possess.
The door opened minutes later to reveal a man with short black hair. His chest was bare and his jeans were riding low to reveal black boxers. "Hey, eyes up here, stranger."
Nino frowned at him, a little offended by the accusation. He hadn't really been looking, not like that anyway.
"His car broke down," Inoo piped in, shoving past him and into the house. The man looked mildly annoyed for a second, but then smiled and motioned for Nino to come in too.
"What's your name?"
"Kazunari Ninomiya," he answered, looking around the small house.
"Where were you headed?"
"I was going out of town for Christmas."
"Don't have a family of your own to spend it with?"
"I ... what's with the drill?" he asked, frowning in annoyance. The dark haired man simply laughed and walked over to grab his shirt, a black tank, that looked like it had been dropped haphazardly on the couch.
"I was just curious. Where's the car? I'll go pick it up."
Inoo gave him instructions that Ninomiya couldn't really have given himself. He didn't even remember seeing the pink dog statue half a mile from the highway sign, but it had been dark.
After the other guy left, Inoo motioned for Ninomiya to sit down with him on the couch. "That was Nishikido Ryo. He's actually a pretty nice guy once you get to know him."
Nino gave him a quizzical look before shrugging and sitting down. "Is it okay for us to just stay in his house like this?"
"Oh yeah. It's not really his house anyway. Ueda's probably here too somewhere."
"Who's that?"
"The mechanic."
"I thought that was ... Nishikido," Nino said slowly, having to think to remember the name.
"No, he just helps out and bums around. Plus he's the one who owns the truck that can haul broken down vehicles here."
By the time Ryo was back, Nino felt almost ready to chew his own arm off just to have a reason to get out of there. Even though not as blunt, Inoo asked just as many questions as Nishikido had and that friendly smile and air never once left him while he talked constantly. When the door opened, Nino readily jumped from the couch.
"Come on. We got your car in the shop. You can follow me," Ryo said, motioning to Ninomiya. "Inoo, you can go ahead and go home. It's getting late."
Nino actually felt a little reserved about the other man leaving. He had been the friendlier and more trustworthy looking of the two. But Inoo just happily wished him luck and strode out the door. Nino tried to keep from frowning and followed Ryo into the 'shop', which turned out to just be a two car garage. Nino almost sighed and slapped himself on the forehead, but he supposed it was better than nothing.
Ueda was dressed in nothing surprising for a mechanic, but maybe a little odd for how late it was and since there was no actual business open at the moment. His white, stained wife beater disappeared into his grey jumpsuit, the top tied off around his waist. He had a stringy, but very fit figure.
"Hey, stranger," Ryo barked and Nino pulled his eyes away with a grunt. He wasn't fucking looking at them like that.
Ueda already had the hood up and was digging around like he knew exactly what was going on. He asked for the keys, and Nino handed them over. Despite being a little paranoid about this guy actually being a mechanic, he didn't really feel like he had much choice now. Ueda tested the car, trying to turn it on. Ryo started talking to him again, this time it felt a little bit less like a drill, while Ueda worked. Eventually the man with the pretty brown hair pulled away from the car and walked over.
"I can't fix it until tomorrow. We'll have to have a part brought in from town," he shrugged as he toweled his greasy hands off. "I'll make some calls to see if anyone can board you for the night. You can't stay here. I only let special bums stay overnight at my house," he said with a smirk as he smacked Ryo on the ass and walked towards the door connecting the house to the garage. Ryo leered after him with a look that made Nino relieved he hadn't been offered a room there.
"So, there's no hotels nearby?" he questioned, with a slim hope. Ryo seemed to snap out of his trance and shook his head.
"Not for about an hour either way, and I doubt anyone will be willing to drive you that far and bring you back. A taxi would cost a hell of a lot too."
"So I'm going to be stuck with a stranger?"
"Don't worry. We're all pretty nice around here. Well, most of us are anyway. Come on. Let's go inside. It's too cold in here."
The next thing Nino knew, he was waiting around for some guy to come pick him up and take him to a place to stay. He'd walked all around inside and out trying to get a signal on his phone, but he was seriously starting to think the whole area might be dead. Why did people live out here? Seriously. Granted, if no one did, he would have been in serious trouble.
Eventually there was a knock at the door, and Nino stood a little nervously from his spot on the couch. When Ryo opened it, Nino got the shock of his life. The person standing there wasn't a stranger at all, but an old friend from high school. What were the odds?
The complimentarily short man looked at him for a moment before his mouth opened in surprise. "Oh," was all he said before Ryo jumped in to introduce them.
Once Nishikido seemed to realize they already knew each other, he looked surprised, disappointed, then excited as he left the room to tell Ueda. The two came back in to say their farewell for the night, and Nino felt relieved that he wasn't leaving with a stranger. Although he also felt nervous because he hadn't spoken to Ohno in over a year.
It wasn't until they were alone in Ohno's car that Nino finally asked him the question that had been on the tip of his mind ever since he walked through the door. "Why did you leave like that?"
"Like what?" Ohno asked simply, looking over at him with wide eyes.
"What do you mean 'like what'?" Nino impersonated him with an exaggerated face and a dopey sounding voice. Ohno just looked at him tiredly before turning back to watch the road. Nino crossed his arms and continued when he only got silence, "I mean, why didn't you call or give me your new number? Why did we fall out of touch?"
Ohno looked surprised again, and Nino soon realized why. "I did. I told Aiba to give you my new number. And it's hard to get reception out here, so I haven't really spoken to anyone very much."
With a sigh, Nino leaned back in his seat. "He must have forgotten to give it to me."
"Yeah?"
"I never saw it."
"Sorry," Ohno said simply, making Ninomiya smile. Still the same old Ohno, simple and to the point.
"I guess these things happen," Nino said with a shrug, easily letting it explain why he'd lost contact with the person he'd been closest to through high school. It wasn't an open sort of closeness. Nino wasn't sure he'd ever even told the other man he thought of him as his best friend, but they just understood each other, better than anyone else did anyway.
Nino discovered that Ohno's new house was small and different than the one Nino had visited countless times in the past. His parents had lived in a nice, homey looking place. Ohno's new house looked like something taken out of a kid's book. There were two levels, the second looked like it had been slapped on secondhand and was about to teeter off the edge of the first.
"You live here?" he asked in disbelief. Ohno simply smiled and nodded before leading him inside. It wasn't nearly as bad as the outside had looked, but Nino had the nagging reminder of the way it looked like it was about to fall over. It was a little messy, papers and art supplies scattered around in every room.
"You live alone?" he further inquired and Ohno nodded again. "Do you have a phone?"
"Ah, not a home phone. There is a spot where you can get a signal though, if you need to make a phone call."
"Really?" Nino asked, smiling again. Finally!
"Yeah, it's up on the second floor," Ohno added and Ninomiya felt his stomach sink.
The stairs creaked a little, but it didn't feel as unstable as it looked. Nino was honestly a little surprised that it didn't start swaying under his feet. Ohno led him all the way up the little set of stairs that curved up onto a second floor that had a rail looking down into the living room. There was a single door that had a wooden plate on it, the word 'studio' carved into it. Nino felt a strange fondness surge up in him, thinking about Ohno working in there every day, but it was quickly suppressed by the worry that the house might topple over while he was in there. That, and the roof was only inches above his head, something that made him feel entirely too uncomfortable.
"A tall person would never be able to live here," he noted, a little amused. Ohno laughed breathily and opened the little door.
If Nino had thought the living room was bad, this room was a billion times messier. There was barely any floor visible at all. Black dust, charcoal he assumed, lay in thin coats on the floor by an easel that had a half finished drawing on it. There were bottles of paint and pads with mixed colors everywhere. "Jesus," Nino breathed as he looked around. It was so Ohno it almost hurt.
"How can you stand this mess?" he asked, kicking aside some paint bottles as he trudged through the mess, following Ohno to the other side of the room.
"What mess?" Ohno replied with a smile, and Nino couldn't help but grin back. Ohno stopped in the far corner of the room and Nino looked at him skeptically. "It's here. Come closer."
When Ninomiya didn't move, Ohno reached out and pushed him into the corner. "This is the only spot that a good signal comes through. If you don't believe me, you can try."
Frowning slightly, Nino pulled out his phone and flipped it open. "Ah, a signal," he said with a smile. He stepped away from the corner and the bars dropped. "It really is true. Seems like something from a horror movie."
"That's just in this house though. There are other places around here I can get signals. Well, you can call whoever you need to now."
Nino began to type letters into a text, leaning back into the corner. "Nah, I'll just text them. Let them know I won't make it tonight." The sudden absence of light let Nino know Ohno had stepped closer. He glanced up and saw him pull out his own phone and begin typing. "Hey, give me some space, will you? I can barely see with you standing there."
"I need to use my phone too," he responded, pursing his lips out in a cute pout before going back to typing. Nino stared at him, feeling both uncomfortable and oddly excited. When Ohno's phone lightly bumped against his, Nino was pulled out of his staring contest with Ohno's forehead and he sucked in a breath before reaching out to shove the other man in the chest.
"You're too close," he complained.
Ohno just blinked at him and stepped up close again. "We've been closer than this before. Remember that one sleepover, with the tiny bed?"
"Yeah, your snoring kept me up."
"And your elbows kept poking into my sides."
They stared at each other for a long moment before they both laughed and Nino looked down, shrugging. "I miss those days."
He could feel Ohno's warm breath brushing across his face. "Yeah," he said simply, his voice soft. Reaching out, Nino pulled Ohno closer, wrapping his arms around him in a somewhat uncharacteristic hug. He pressed his face into the other man’s hair and breathed in deeply, everything washing back over him. All the things he'd felt were enough to make him feel intoxicated.
Pulling back, he tried to move away, but the wall was right behind him. Laughing to try and expel some of the nerves, Nino looked up to meet Ohno's eyes, seeing nothing but calm. It made him feel just as nervous as ever. He had always been somewhat unreadable like that, keeping everything inside. Looking back down, Nino took a deep breath and tried to step to the side, but Ohno's hands closed around his arms and held him in place.
"You know," he began, and Nino looked at him with a curious frown. "I miss it too. You being around me all the time. There was once when I found it kind of bothersome how you clung to me after we met, but I guess I grew kind of dependant on you after all. Moving away only made it that much more obvious."
Ninomiya felt frozen as the words sunk into him, very slowly. It was difficult to process what he was hearing, the seriousness, the weight of it. It just wasn't like Ohno to say so much, but then again, maybe they'd both grown up a little. After a few seconds, Nino frowned and batted Ohno's arms away. "What do you mean bothersome? I didn't cling to you at all. I was just..." Nino felt himself silenced when Ohno's lips pressed firmly against his partially opened mouth. He stared at him with wide eyes, the sound of his heartbeat suddenly hammering in his ears. When Ohno pulled back, he just continued to stare. "What was that?"
"Don't act like you didn't want it," he said with a twitch of his lips. Nino blinked and shook his head. He always thought if anyone kissed anyone, it would end up being him. The outcome of the kiss was what had always kept him from doing anything serious with the other, despite all the jokes and playful fondling he'd done in the past.
"I meant," Nino started, finally pulling his nerve back together. "What was that? I don't think that really even qualifies as a kiss," he said with a smirk before pulling Ohno closer and tilting his head to lean into the kiss. Ohno's mouth was soft against his partially chapped lips -he'd blame it on the cold weather later- and Nino quickly pried open his mouth with his tongue.
They only pulled apart when they were both breathless. Ohno finally took a step back, allowing Nino to move out of the corner, which he did while taking a few heavy breaths.
"I hope that was more satisfying," Ohno said with a smile.
"You're getting there," Nino played back.
"Come on. I'll make us something to drink."
Nino followed Ohno out of the room and smiled, "I hope it has alcohol in it."
Ten minutes later, Nino sipped on his hot chocolate from a cup shaped like a bear's head. He wasn't too disappointed. "So," he started, trying to make conversation when all he really wanted to do was find out whether or not he'd be on the couch alone or in the bed, not so alone. "What are your plans for Christmas? Are you going home?"
Ohno leaned back against the couch and made a soft, contemplative noise. "No, I'm not going anywhere this year."
Leaning forward, Nino gaped at him. "So, you're spending Christmas alone?"
Turning his head to look at him, Ohno blinked. "Well, I got this new paint set..." he trailed off and shrugged before taking a small drink and hissing at the heat, making Nino laugh under his breath.
After he waited to make sure Ohno wasn't really burnt, Nino sighed. "You can't spend it alone."
"Oh really?" Ohno asked, grinning into his cup.
"Yes, I'll spend it with you."
"Oh, you will?"
"Yes," Nino couldn't help but mirror the smile on Ohno's face as they went back and forth.
"Why?" Ohno asked, suddenly looking a little more serious.
"I don't want to have to spend it with my family. Isn't that enough?" Nino shrugged and sat the mug down because it was getting too hot for his hands.
"So, I'm an excuse?"
Nino stared at him for a long moment before answering, "No, not really."
Ohno took a deep breath and chewed on his lip for a second before looking back at Nino. "You know, I never said you could stay."
But even without saying it, Ohno never made him leave.